Alachua County Public Works Director answers questions about road paving and potholes
BY JENNIFER CABRERA
ALACHUA COUNTY, Fla. – In a recent email to Alachua County Commissioners, Public Works Director Ramon Gavarrete provided a response to numerous requests from residents to pave roads and fix potholes.
“You may think of the PCI as the County’s report card.”
In the email, Gavarrete wrote, “[W]e continue to face the challenge of [a] 30-to-40-year backlog when it comes to resurfacing the County roadways. The funding is not enough to upgrade every segment of roadway in Alachua County. The intent of the [County Commission] is to have projects County-wide. On September 2021, I presented to the Board that the County needed to invest approximately $41.5 million per year in order to stop the downward sliding of the pavement condition index (PCI) and achieve a PCI of 70. You may think of the PCI as the County’s report card. Adjusted to inflation, this amount today would be approximately $53 million. The current TCIP has an estimated $252 million investment over a 10-year period, or approximately $25 million, annually.”
The chart at the top of this article was presented at that September 2021 meeting, and it shows that while many roads will be in much better condition at the end of the 10-year TCIP, the overall PCI will be lower in 2040 than it is now (between the purple and blue lines), even at the current spending level of about $25 million per year. As Gavarrete noted, annual spending of about $53 million would be required to improve the overall road condition over that time period.
Residents can view the paving plans for any County roadway at the link below, and residents can also subscribe to updates at the bottom of the page.
Transportation Capital Improvement Program Webpage.
The maps below show segments along some major roadways that are currently in the adopted TCIP. See the section below on the Strip Maintenance Milling & Resurfacing Program for planned repairs of some of the red segments.
New Asphalt Maintenance unit: “Pothole patching is a priority”
In February 2026, Gavarrete created a new maintenance unit within the Operations Division to elevate the importance of asphalt maintenance. Gavarrete said in his email, “Crews are continuously reminded to patch all potholes along the entire roadway when being assigned a work order. If the crew [runs] out of material, the crew is to return the next working day (if material is available) to continue working on that road until completed. Please note that this new unit was created by removing staff from other maintenance units. Pothole patching is a priority.”
Residents can send an email to rbmaintenance@alachuacounty.us to report potholes; Gavarrete noted, however, that alligator or block cracking and asphalt scabbing can only be rehabbed by completing a milling and resurfacing project.
Strip Maintenance Milling & Resurfacing Program
Gavarrete also introduced the new Strip Maintenance Milling & Resurfacing Program, which will mill 4-foot strips, mainly along the wheel paths of the vehicles. However, Gavarrete noted that if this program were used along roadways like CR 234, where alligator and block cracking are prevalent, the entire budget of $446,000 would be spent on one roadway.
Projects included in that $446,000 budget include:
- NW 94th Avenue from CR 235 to SR 45;
- NW CR 235A from U.S. 441 to Peggy Road;
- NW 46th Avenue from CR 235 to NW 202nd Street;
- SW CR 337 from SW 46th Avenue to the county line;
- SW 170th Street (CR 241) from Newberry Road to SR 41 in Archer (in progress);
- SW CR 346 from SR 45 to CR 346A;
- SW 75th Street from SW 85th Avenue South to the end of County maintenance (complete).
Gavarrete noted that this program will be suspended in the summer to construct the Roundabout Safety Improvement at CR 235 and Newberry Lane.
Emergency repairs on CR 346 this week
This unit will also be completing emergency repairs on CR 346 this week. The geotechnical report indicated that there are numerous trees and other organic matter that were buried in this section when the roadway was originally constructed. Crews will be working this week to excavate a 5- to 10-foot section of roadway and backfill it.
Grading on limerock roads
Gavarrete wrote that due to the ongoing drought, it is not possible to grade all limerock roadways on the established schedule of every 6 to 8 weeks.
Grading limerock or gravel roads during a drought is generally not advisable because it can temporarily smooth the surface but actually accelerate long-term damage, create a dust problem, and waste maintenance resources. The best time to grade is typically when the road is moist, but not saturated, often shortly after a light rain, which allows for proper reincorporation of materials and compaction.
“New Asphalt Maintenance unit: “Pothole patching is a priority”
I guess the roads are going to be ‘patched’ as has already been done over and over again to no avail.
232 sure needs it!
Budget priority – Roads, $40 Million per year and use what is left over for Public safety, Sherrif and Fire, infrastructure and when it’s done, it’s done.
The current Alachua County budget is 973 million dollars. There is plenty left over for the rest of the needs.
Some roads in my area are so bad that travel at posted speed limits is dangerous and are damaging to my vehicles (alignment, tires, etc.).
Evidently, county commissioners don’t need to travel these roads as often as I do.
What Mr. Gavarrete really exposes is a classic bait-and-switch. The public was sold a massive one-penny surtax on the promise of fixing our roads, but the County Commission legally structured it so the bulk of the money goes to land conservation, parks, and pet social projects — leaving actual asphalt in such a deficit that our road conditions are still projected to be poorly maintained for the foreseeable future.
Hope you liberal loons think about that before you vote to tax everyone again. I believe someone has already addressed the issue — it’s not that we have a revenue issue, we have a spending issue.
Where is the 5 cents per gallon tax going that is being charged for the last decade.
There once was a public work director who was abruptly removed from his position and immediately given a promotion to Special Advisor for Infrastructure and Capital Projects and relocated to city hall on the executive leadership team.
A young lady who was his subordinate felt uncomfortable with the sexual advances and pressure her boss, then Public Works Director made against her.
She reported this to another supervisor, who went and directly confronted the Public Works director.
The young lady was given a two week paid vacation, and all of a sudden the Public Works director was reassigned to a new position as Special Advisor for Infrastructure and Capital Projects of the city of Gainesville with an extensive raise and a new office at city hall.
He was then promoted to Interim Chief Operating Officer and is now General Government Operations.
You can’t make this stuff up, its wild how Cynthia Curry moves, and Person’s is just a puppet Curry is still running the show with her handpicked and promoted team.
If only that young lady would not have taken the money and sued, she would have been able to relocate and have a better life and find a job somewhere else.
Which government entity maintains the road behind Lincoln Middle School? That road has more potholes than asphalt and is one of the worst roads in Gainesville. But just like everything else, projects on the east side will be completed last — if ever.
They patched SW 75th ST between Archer Rd and SW 85th Ave and did an absolute TERRIBLE job. Its rougher now than it was.
If they can’t fix roads where is the money coming from to convert schools to homeless shelter
Where did all the money go from local 1/2 cent tax increases that were sold to the public as being destined for road fixes?? We need 100% transparency from ACRD and BOCC where every single dollar went!!!
When neighboring counties collect less in taxes yet maintain smoother, safer roads, it raises valid concerns about how Alachua County is managing its budget and prioritizing infrastructure. Residents should reasonably expect road maintenance and public safety to be treated as core responsibilities, especially when they’re paying higher taxes. The condition of many local roads suggests there may be issues with spending priorities, long-term planning, or how funds are being allocated and managed.